Best hair styling tools

The key to great hair is great tools – so if one of your beauty goals is to achieve perfect Kardashian-esque locks, you’ll need to stock up on the right stylers.

Whether you want to go poker straight or channel your inner Queen B with some lusciously bouncy curls, there are various types of styling tools that will help elevate your hair game. But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide on the one you need for your desired look.

To make things easier, we’ve tried out a range of high-quality wands and straighteners to find out which ones live up to the hype. Some of the things we focused on while testing was how fast they worked, how long the style lasted and manoeuvrability.

The Mark Hill Pick ‘n’ Mix collection

An award-winning hair stylist, Mark Hill has provided red carpet looks to the likes of Kate Hudson and Michelle Pfeiffer. This interchanging curling wand is the closest we’ll get to having his salon’s team of styling pros in our own home. The handle works with all products featured in the Pick 'N' Mix range, which includes barrels for every type of curl you can think of from soft waves to corkscrew curls. Thanks to the handy twist-lock system, the barrels attach and release with ease while a swivel cord allows for great manoeuvrability. The 32mm ‘Medium Curl’ barrel we tried on long fine hair created each curl in less than 10 seconds, which managed to hold its shape all day in windy weather. For a tighter curl, opt for the newly released 'Easy Curl' barrel or the 'Glam Waver' barrel for effortless Hollywood waves. Each handle comes with a heat protection glove.

Want to channel your inner Beyoncé? A retro hair trend that ruled in 2017, corkscrew curls are the ultimate switch up to straight hair – and this Lee Stafford styler is our favourite tool for getting the look. With a maximum temperature of 200 degrees, the ceramic-coated rod produced stunningly tight curls in just 8 seconds. Not only did they last for days on end, but also looked super-sleek and (thankfully) didn’t resemble the perm our mums had in the eighties. We also love how the tong is designed with a built-in safety stand to protect surfaces.

This hair tong from the iconic Windle & Moodie Covent Garden salon just screams innovation. Available in sizes 13 (for tight ringlets), 25 (for classic curls) and 31 (for tousled locks), the rotating barrel makes styling super simple and it's fast and easy to use. WAM products will leave your hair looking silky and shiny, and their ceramic plates heat up to 210 degrees in seconds. Pro tip: Make sure you head to Windle & Moodie's award-winning salon to see what the fuss is about and receive stellar treatment from a team who know what's best for your hair. Oh, and ask for Valentina. She's a gem.

T3 offers a unique twist to the modern curling iron as the one tong can give you anything from loose waves, tight rings lets and perfected curls. How? Because of the clever interchangeable design that allows you to use any of the barrels from the convertible collection. All you need to do is click the barrel you want in place and you’re good to go. With five adjustable heat settings, this curler is perfect for any hair type and will produce curls that last - even in flat, fine hair.

For those on a budget who still want salon quality curls, Remington's 32mm Proluxe curling barrel creates perfect loose waves, perfect for the just-rolled-out-of-bed look. The heat settings can be adjusted to be anywhere from 120 degrees to 210 degrees depending on your hair type.

For a girl who loves volume, this is the perfect present for her. Unlike classic rollers of the ‘80s, The O will create bouncy volume and curl in just minutes. The way it works is The O Pod’s revolutionary heating system heats the rollers in less than four seconds and get hot in the hair, not the hands so no burnt fingertips. The O Ultimate set contains the award-winning The O Pod, The O Carry Case, The O Roller and Amplify Spray. Better yet, they currently have £70 off.

A brand synonymous with good hair everywhere, GHD (which stands for Good Hair Day, duh) is a must-have item in every woman’s beauty cupboard. The multi-faceted hair tool can render your locks silky straight, create tousled waves or tight curls. The GHD platinum range also boasts 50 per cent less breakage and 20 per cent more shine. The team at GHD have recently bought out their new Nocturne Collection - which includes a crimper - and their limited edition platinum styler gift set is hard to go by. With a gorgeous purple design (including purple plates), the gift set also comes with two specially-designed OPI nail polishes.

The world’s first suspended plate ceramic straightener glides beautifully through your hair to create an ultra-sleek look.The Air Plates create a cool touch technology which makes the outer casing cooler to touch, hence less burnt fingers. The inch-wide black titanium ceramic plates are some of the smoothest around and offer premium-quality styling no matter your hair type.

The versatile 25mm barrels will create anything from beach waves to polished curls and couldn’t be more simple to use. You can choose the temperature that suits your hair and it comes with a heat resistant carry case and a heat protective glove so as not to burn yourself. The mineral-infused, coated barrel will leave your locks looking silky, smooth and like you’ve just left the salon.